Jewelry chain constructions and method of manufacture of costume jewelry therefrom



p 23, 1958 w. GAMELSKY 2,852,923

JEWELRY CHAIN CONSTRUCTIONS AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE OF COSTUME JEWELRY THEREFROM Filed Jan. 21, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 T 2:]. E 50 f 1 Y I! P 2/ lllfllllllll lllllllllll E INVENTOR. M444 me GAMHSAV P 23, 1958 w. GAMELSKY 2,852,923

JEWELRY CHAIN CONSTRUCTIONS AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE OF COSTUME JEWELRY THEREFROM Filed Jan. '21, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet I2 Tifilm.

' IN V EN TOR. Mute/e 6444515 United States Patent 2 2,852,923 Patented Sept. 23, 1958 ice JEWELRY CHAIN CONSTRUCTIONS AND METH- OD OF MANUFACTURE OF COSTUME JEWELRY THEREFROM Walter Gamelslry, New York, N. Y.

Application January 21, 1955, Serial No. 483,210

7 Claims. (CI. 63-20) This invention relates to jewelry and more particularly is directed to a novel construction of precious and semiprecious stone setting findings formed into a continuous chain severable into desired lengths for use in the manufacture of costume jewelry, such as, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, decorative pins and the like, and to a method of manufacturing such chain and costume jewelry.

Among the objects of the invention is to generally improve jewelry finding chain constructions of the character described and the manufacture of costume jewelry therefrom, which chain construction shall comprise few and simple parts readily adaptable for low cost manufacture in quantity production by high speed automatic machinery, which shall be capable of being formed into a wide variety of costume jewelry by a novel yet simple method of manufacture, which method shall require a minimum of skilled labor, eliminate tedious and costly handwork and produce intricate and aesthetically appealing costume jewelry designs of superior construction at a relatively low cost heretofore available only in the most expensive jewelry.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious :and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists of features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter disclosed, and the steps of an improved method hereinafter described, the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims following.

In the accompanying drawing in which various illustrative embodiments of the invention are shown:

Figs. 1 and 2 are enlarged top plan and side elevation al views, respectively, of a fragmentary portion of a continuous chain embodying the invention showing the findings set with precious or semiprecious stones secured at uniformly spaced intervals along a' knurled wire of square cross-sectional shape.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged schematic plan view illustrating a sequence of steps for forming and attaching the findings on the knurled wire in the manufacture of the continuous chain shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 in Fig. 3 showing the knurled wire centralized on a cut-out finding blank preparatory to forming and attaching the finding.

. Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 in Fig. 3

showing the transverse side sections of a finding blank bent into position prior to clamping onto the knurled wire.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 56 in Fig. 3 showing a finding completely formed and clampingly afiixed to the knurled wire.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a fragmentary portion of the chain showing a finding completely formed and clampingly affixed to the knurled wire ready for stone setting.

Fig. 8 is a View similar to Fig. 6 showing a modified form of the invention in which a multi-strand twisted wire replaces the knurled wire.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a fragmentary length of multi-strand twisted wire shown in cross section in Fig. 8.

Figs. 10 and 11 are enlarged top plan and side views, respectively, of a decorative piece of costume jewelry in the form of a monogram S pin formed by bending a chain section shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in a single plane, portions of the backing support strip being broken away in Fig. 10 to show the pin extending thereunder.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged top plan view partly in phantom of a three-dimensional jewelry ornament suitable for use as a brooch, necklace, pendant or earring formed from chain sections shown in Figs. 1 and 2 by the improved method embodying the invention, and

Fig. 13 is a side elevational view of a pair of dies broken away to show the three-dimensional jewelry ornament shown in Fig. 12 at the end of the final step in the manufacture thereof from a single plane structure of cut, bent and soldered together chain sections.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 29 generally denotes a chain construction embodying the invention formed with a wire 21 upon which is firmly secured findings 22, uniformly spaced apart, each finding 22 being set with a precious, semiprecious or imitation stone 23.

Findings 22 may be made of metal, stamped or cut into blanks 32, each finding 22, as here shown, being formed to accommodate cut stone 23 simulating the popular brilliant cut diamond, said formation being substantially hexahedral in shape having an open top side 22a into which said stone 23 is set. Oppositely positioned longitudinal side walls 22b of the finding 22 may have extending from each side thereof a wing section 220 separated from said walls 22b by rounded corner sections 22a, said walls 22b, wing sections 22c and rounded corner sections 22a all being shaped to taper slightly downward from open top side 22a toward a bottom wall 22e to correspond to the contour of said brilliant cut stone 23. Each of the corner sections 22d along said open top side 22a may be provided with a prong 22f projecting therefrom which is bent over in stone retaining position, as is clear from Figs. 1 and 2. When finding 22 is formed as a completed unit, pairs of wing sections 22c mate to provide oppositely positioned transversely extending side walls 22g which are provided with aligning through-openings 22h through which said wire 21 extends, as seen in Figs. 3 to 7.

Wire 21 may be made of any base or precious metal suitable for jewelry use alloyed to have semi-ri id nrrmerties, that is, properties ranging from dead soft to slightly resilient for satisfying ultimate requirements for chain construction 26. Thus, wire 21 may be bendable for forming into any desired shape, as for example, in the manner hereinafter more fully described, but should have stiffness or rigid properties for retaining its shape once formed during normal use thereof. For use in bracelets, tiaras or the like type jewelry where limited springiness is required, wire 21 may be provided in an alloy having sutlicient resiliency for the purpose intended.

One of the features of the invention is the provision of findings 22 mounted on wire 21 in such a manner as to permit the forming of chain construction 22 into a wide variety of three-dimensional shapes, an example of whichlis clearly shown in Figs. 12 and 13. To accomplish this end, each finding 22 is fixedly mounted on wire 21 to resist both turning movement, that is, rotation of finding 22 with respect to wire 21 as an axis and longitudinal slipping or sliding movement of finding 22 with respect to Wire In order to prevent said turning movement of findings 22, wire 21 may be made of any non-circular crossroughened, as for example, formed with a knurled surface The manufacture and assembly of chain construction 20 will be apparent from Figs. 3 to 7, inclusive. Finding blanks 32 may be first stamped from a sheet metal strip, by any well known means (not shown), into the shape shown at A in Pig. 3 as comprising a central portion 32c, a pair of longitudinal side portions 32b extending from opposite sides of central portion 326 beyond parallel fold lines 32a and a pair of wing portions 32c extending from opposite sides adjacent fold line 32a of each longitudinal side portion 32b. Wing portions 320 are each separated from its respective longitudinal side portion 32b by corner forming portions 32d, the latter being indicated by dot and dash lines 32g converging toward the four corners of central portion 326.

Each of said wing portions 32c may then be displaced to lie substantially at right angles to longitudinal side portions 32b as indicated at B in Figs. 3 and 5 by bending corner forming portions 32d into an arcuate crosssectional shape to form rounded corner sections 22d of finding 22.

After wire 21 is positioned in alignment upon central portion 32@ of blank 32, as shown at B in Figs. 3 and 5, longitudinal side portions 32b are then bent up along fold lines 32a so that abutment rim edge 32j of wing portions 320 are brought together to form a medial butt joint 22 extending vertically in each of the opposite transverse side walls 22g above wire 21. Simultaneously with the bringing together of edges 32 cut-out rim edge portions 32h of wing portions 320, which are seen in Figs. 3 and 5 to extend substantially parallel to rim edges 32 clampingly engage opposite knurled side surfaces 21a of wire 21 to complete the mounting and formation of finding 22 as indicated at C in Figs. 3 and 6. The other cut-out rim edge portions 32k bordering through-openings 22h in said transverse side walls 22g through which wire 21 passes may extend substantially at right angle to said cut-out rim edge portions 32h and clampingly engage the upper side of wire 21, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

Stones 23 may then be mounted in findings 22 in the well known manner by prongs 22] being bent in retaining position to complete the manufacture of chain construction 2%.

Each successive finding 22 is formed from a blank 32 simultaneously with its mounting on wire 21 in the mannot described above, Findings 22 may be spaced from each other along wire 21 any distance for providing a stone studded chain of desired ornamental appearance but a minimum space between findings 22 must be provided to permit bending chain construction 26 in any desired three-dimensional shape, as hereinafter more fully described. As is clear from Figs. 1 and 2, a spacing between findings 22 equal to about one-half the broadest width of the finding has been found to render satisfactory results.

It will now be clear from the nature of the above described manufacture of chain construction 20 that such manufacture may readily be carried out by automatic machinery in quantity production to be suppliedon spools or in rolls in a relatively long continuous length or pre-cut into shorter lengths and supplied as strips for further fabrication into costume jewelry.

By using chain construction 20, a wide variety of types and designs of costume jewelry may be manufactured in accordance with the method illustrated in Figs. 10 to 13, inclusive.

Figs. 10 to 13, inclusive, illustrate costume jewelry 4 manufactured by the novel method hereinafter more fully described from chain construction 20.

Figs. 10 and 11 show an ornamental pin or brooch made from a length 41 of chain construction 20 bent in a single plane into the shape of the letter 8. To aid in retaining the shape of chain length 41, a backing support strip 42 may be soldered at a plurality of joints 42a thereto and may also carry pivoted pin 42b and safety catch 42 to complete the pin or brooch 40.

Jewelry ornaments of more intricate design may be fashioned from out lengths of chain construction 20 suitably bent and soldered together to form a design lying in a single fiat plane. An illustration of such an ornament is shown in Fig. 12 to comprise an inner ring 51 and an outer ring 52 both formed from suitable lengths of chain construction 2% bent into circles of desired diameter and soldered together at the ends thereof as at 51a and 52a, respectively, short lengths 53 of said chain construction 20 being soldered at opposite ends 53a to said rings 51 and 52 to radially extend therebetween in spaced apart relation.

A jewelry ornament extending in a relatively flat or single plane is now complete similar to pin or brooch 40 shown in Figs. 10 and 11 which may be utilized in that form or may be pressed into the three dimensional ornament St) by suitable dies D as diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 13. Although the illustration shows a simple convex configuration for pressed ornament 50, it is to be understood that by utilizing this improved method of manufacture any more complex three-dimensional configuration can be fashioned by the die pressing step.

Thus, the improved method for manufacturing threedimensional jewel studded jewelry ornaments, that is, ornaments having the decorative surface extending in a configuration out of a single fiat plane, from chain construction 20 is seen to comprise the steps of cutting chain construction 20 into required lengths, bending the lengths where required in a single flat plane to form parts of the decorative ornament, assembling and soldering together said out lengths including those bent in said fiat plane to form a flat ornament blank and then die pressing said ornament blanks into a finished three-dimensional jewelry ornament 50.

Where a chain construction 20 made of brass or other base metal is used in manufacturing jewel studded jewelry, as for example, brooch 40 or ornament 50, the latter may be plated with a precious metal or otherwise surfao: finished in any well known manner after completion of the manufacture above described. Where expedient, chain construction 20 may be plated or surface finished prior to manufacture into brooch 40 or ornament 5t A modified form of chain construction 20 is shown in Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawing in which a multi-strand twisted wire 61 is used for mounting findings 22 in place of wire 21. As is clear from Fig. 8, twisted wire 61 has an irregular surface configuration forming means for coacting with rim edges of through-openings 22h for clamp attachment of findings 22 thereto, preventing both sliding and turning movement of each finding 22 with respect to wire 61 in a manner similar to the square configuration and knurled surface 21a of wire 21.

It is thus seen that there is provided improved chain and costume jewelry ornament constructions and method of manufacture whereby the several objects of this invention are achieved and which are well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matters herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A jewelry finding chain construction of the character as a,

described comprising a semi-rigid wire of non-circular cross section bendable in at least two intersecting planes into a three-dimensional shape and having stiffness sulficient for retaining its shape after so bending during normal use thereof, a plurality of stone setting findings carried by the wire uniformly spaced apart from each other, each of said findings being formed with through-openings in a pair of opposite side Walls thereof through which said wire extends, said through-openings being of non-circular contour co-acting with said wire cross-sectional shape to prevent rotation of each of the findings with respect to the wire, surface portions of said wire being roughened, and rim edge portions of said through-openings of each of the findings clampingly engaging said roughened wire surface portions for anchoring each finding against sliding movement along the wire.

2. A jewelry finding chain construction of the character described comprising a semi-rigid wire of non-circular cross section, a plurality of stone setting findings carried by the wire uniformly spaced apart from each other, each of said findings being formed from a sheet metal blank to have a rectangular bottom, a pair of longitudinal side walls integrally formed with and extending from opposite sides of said bottom, wing sections integrally formed to extend from opposite sides of said longitudinal side walls bent around and abutting to form transverse side walls for the finding, corner portions of said wing sections being cut-out and forming through-openings in said transverse side walls adjacent said bottom through which said wire extends, rim edges of said through-openings clampingly engaging said wire for anchoring each finding against sliding movement along the wire.

3. The jewelry finding chain construction defined in claim 2 in which the wire has resilient properties for use as a spring defiectable type bracelet.

4. The jewelry finding chain construction defined in claim 2 in which said wire is substantially square in cross section and has a knurled surface.

5. The jewelry finding chain construction defined in claim 2 in which said wire is of multi-strands and twisted in form.

6. A method of manufacturing jewelry finding continuous chain of the character described from wire of noncircular cross section and sheet metal blanks preformed to have a rectangular central portion, a pair of longitudinal side portions extending from opposite sides of said central portion beyond parallel fold lines, each of said side portions having a pair of opposite wing portions extending from opposite sides adjacent said fold line, each of said wing portions having a free corner thereof cut-out; comprising the steps of centralizing the central portion of one of said blanks against the wire, bending each of said wing portions into substantially right angle upstanding relation with respect to the side portions, and bending each of said side portions along said fold lines to bring the wing portions into abutment relation, said bending simultaneously causing clamping engagement of said corner cut-out portions with said wire.

7. A three-dimensional jewel studded jewelry ornament of the character described comprising sections of finding chain construction, said chain being formed of semirigid wire non-circular in cross section bendable in at least two intersecting planes into a three-dimensional shape and having stiffness suflicient for retaining its shape after so bending during normal use thereof and a plurality of stone setting findings attached to the Wire at uniformly spaced intervals, each of said findings being formed with through-openings in a pair of opposite side walls thereof through which said wire extends, said through-openings being of non-circular contour co-acting with said wire cross-sectional shape to prevent rotation of each of the findings with respect to the wire, surface portions of said wire being roughened, rim edge portions of said throughopenings of each of the findings clampingly engaging said roughened wire surface portions for anchoring each finding against sliding movement along the Wire, said sections being bent, soldered together and deformed into an ornament having a decorative jewel studded surface extending in three dimensions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 204,149 Heckmann May 28, 1878 306,936 Logan Oct. 21, 1884 393,413 Young Nov. 27, 1888 921,759 Walker May 18, 1909 1,135,576 Grabau Apr. 13, 1915 1,304,706 Preufer May 27, 1919 1,481,894 Fishel Jan. 29, 1924 1,738,106 Kuehner Dec. 3, 1929 1,815,058 Genser July 21, 1931 1,941,684 Hiller Jan. 2, 1934 2,183,264 Lucomlin Dec. 12, 1939 2,477,780 Armstrong Aug. 2, 1949 2,499,592 Kramer Mar. 7, 1950 2,538,090 Ferragamo Jan. 16, 1951 2,634,593 Moretti Apr. 14, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 62,550 Austria Aug. 1, 1913 918,772 France Feb. 18, 1947 1,114,964 France Aug. 26, 1952 

